The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-09
CHURCH OF OUR FATHER.
Dedication of the Renewed church.-Interest-
ing Services and Large subscriptions.

The Church of Our Father, in this city,
Third Universalist, was dedicated on
Sunday evening with interesting and sp-
propriate services. The society was in
corporated last January. The old church
building at the corner OF Grant place
and Larrabee street was rented, and for
several months services were conducted
on Sunday afternoons by the pastors of
Chicago. The residents of the North side
seemed glad of the opportunity TO attend
church of that character, and were SO
enthusiastic that it was decided to lease
the property for five years, and a regular
pastor was called,-Rev. @. s. Nickerson,
recently of Beverly, Mass. During the
few weeks of his passionate, services have
been conducted in the basement of the
building, and the society, which now
numbers about seventy members, is grow
ing steadily. In the meantime the old
building has been made to appear as
though new. The outside has been paint
ed and the inside neatly frescoed and fur
pished. The auditorium is furnished
with opera chairs, and in general appear
ance, the interior compares favorably
with the other large houses of worship
in that locality. These improvements
have been made at an expense of $1,000.
and the money has been we'll invested, for
a more attractive audience room is rarely
found.
Sunday evening, July 3, was appointed
for the dedication and attendent SER
vices. There was large congregation de-
spite the fact of excessively sultry wealth
or and heavy shower about the church
hour.
The services were as follows: Organ
voluntary; Invocation and Reading of
Scriptures, Rev. Miss A. j. Chaplin; Ser
mon by Rev. Charles Conklin, subject,
Incentives of the Universalist Faith" At
the close of his sermon, which was neces-
sarily brief, Mr.. Conklin remarked: "The
immediateness of the results of our work
inspires us. 1t is because we are in earn
est that we find joy in building up this
branch of the kingdom of God. The age
is just ripe to- day for this work. Men are
letting go the ladders reared by others,
for they are found defective Oreeds
should be made to grow in the light of
discovery and progress. 1 want to con-
graduate you on the completion of the
repairs to this edifice. Some Of you will
look back, not as being consecrsted by
the service here tonight, but by the
happy experience of the truth in your
own heart.
"Other church societies will be glad
you are come into their midst, for you are
a genuine Christian church; and, while
you carry your own regimental flag, you
are all under the flag of loyalty to Jesus
Christ"
Rev. DIR. J. s. Cantwell followed with
an appeal for funds to pay the expenses
of the improvements in the church edi-
fee. He said that he was not going to
make an address, but he had something
to say. When he looked around and saw
the Transformation OF this old barn into
such beautiful church, he was remind
ed that the improvement had been made
very largely on borrowed capital. 1t nad
been very much matter of faith, and it
was his duty to stand up in behalf of
those to whom they were indebted, and
see to it they did not fail to pay for the
music. They had their own good work to